1) Field of the Industrial Use
This invention relates to a feed for increasing the disease resistance of domestic animals, domestic fowls and fishes and improving their qualities such as the meat quality, egg quality, and the like.
2) Prior Art
Most of the prior art assorted feed and mixed feed have been produced with the aim of supplying domestic animals, domestic, fowl, fish, and the like with nutritive substances which can maintain their growth conditions within economically acceptable range in the usual natural environment. The purpose of their production was to allow animals to spend days in good conditions during a period until they can be shipped economically, rather than to maintain their length of life as long as possible under healthy conditions. That is, the main purpose was to improve body weight gain, feed requiring ratio, and the like during a period prior to their shipping. With regard to diseases of these animals, vaccines have been used for the prevention of diseases and antibiotics and antimicrobial agents have been used for the treatment of diseases.
In recent years, however, the appearance of resistant bacteria and residual antibiotics in meat and eggs became social problems, which resulted in the legal restriction of the use of antibiotics, antimicrobial agents, and the like and frequent strict inspections for this purpose. That is, shipping of animals has been banned not only during the use of these drugs but also for a certain period after their use. In addition, environmental deterioration caused by dense rearing, and the like in quest of profitability has resulted in the increase of intractable diseases, so-called opportunistic infections, and the like, which has accelerated reduction of productivity and profitability.
Taking such circumstances into consideration, the inventors of the present invention have conducted studies on the improvement of the rearing environment for all types of domestic animals, domestic fowl, cultured fish, and the like, so that their health can be maintained through the prevention of their infection with viruses, bacteria and parasites without using drugs for animals (antibiotics and antimicrobial agents) as far as possible and their meat quality, egg quality, milk quality, and the like can be improved. As a result, the present inventors found that the blending of certain crude drugs with feeds for domestic animals, domestic fowl, cultured fish, and the like can increase the resistance of these animals against viruses, bacteria and parasites and improve the meat and egg qualities, and accomplished the present invention.
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to maintain the health of domestic animals, domestic fowl, cultured fish, and the like without using antibiotics and antimicrobial agents as far as possible.